Cadillac SRX

2015 has been a great year for the automotive industry, bringing us everything from faster-than-ever performance cars, to roomier and more efficient family vehicles, to semi-autonomous rides, and new-generation electric and hydrogen-powered models. We also saw a large number of fascinating new concept cars that will become production vehicles in the future, while several automakers reached benchmarks that seemed impossible a decade ago.

However, 2015 was also a year that saw many models being discontinued here in the United States. While some are aging models that are being replaced by new nameplates, other vehicles were simply phased out due to slow sales or because they were developed for niches that are no longer feasible in today’s changing market.

With the year now coming to an end, TopSpeed is taking a look back at the discontinued cars we said goodbye to in 2015. But, rather than include all the models that got the axe last year, I focused on those that most of us will miss and the vehicles that, at some point in their life cycle, made a significant impact on the market. Find out more about it below and tell us which model you will miss the most in the comments section.

There are a handful of ways a car can rebrand. It can follow a similar path Jaguar and Volvo have taken by introducing new-generation models or it could it do what Infiniti did by renaming its models. The latter appears to be the route Cadillac is taking, and the latest renaming strategy deals with its new crossovers and SUVs.

Forbes is reporting that the American automaker is set to introduce a new “XT” designation for its big models to complement the already-announced “CT” designation for its new cars. The only exception would be the Escalade, which isn’t going to have a name change anytime soon.

Cadillac plans to differentiate its models by adding a number following the XT designation to signify the size of the model relative to other SUVs in the lineup. With this line of thinking, the XT1 will probably the smallest of the bunch followed by the XT2, XT3, and so on and so forth.

Cadillac’s objective in changing its model’s nomenclature is grounded on clearing up any kind of potential confusion surrounding its current lineup of model names. In other words, Caddy finally realized that the ATS, the CTS, and the XTS do sound
similar to each other save for the first letter of those names.

Then there’s the matter of firmly entrenching itself into the same level as its main competitors: BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz.

All three German brands use different derivatives of alphanumeric names, making it easier for people to distinguish one model from the other. That’s what Cadillac is shooting for now that it’s beginning the first step towards overhauling its lineup.

The question now is how long it’ll take Cadillac to fill out the XT lineup seeing as it only has the SRX and the Escalade in its current crossover and SUV lineup.

After months of speculation, Cadillac has finally confirmed it will roll out a range-topping, luxurious limousine to rival the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the BMW 7 Series, and the Audi A8. The news broke ahead of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California, where Cadillac chief engineer Dave Leon told reporters the rear-wheel-drive sedan will arrive in late 2015, Bloomberg reports.

In addition, Leone revealed Cadillac is also planning to introduce a redesigned SRX SUV and confirmed the launch of the ATS-Vin 2015. "This is going to be a fantastic year for Cadillac," he said.

There’s no word as to when the flagship Caddy will be unveiled, but recent reports have hinted toward a New York Auto Show debut in April 2015. Both the luxury sedan and the revamped SRX will be among the first models to be launched with Johan de Nysschen, previously in charge of the Infiniti brand, as president.

The 2014 SRX may look the same as last year’s model from the outside, but its redesigned interior now packs all the latest active safety technology, like fully adaptive cruise control. Paired with the optional AWD, this five-seat V-6 crossover is a confident and safe family car with Audi-inspired interior quality and trim choices.

You would not know it from the lack of exterior style, but the SRX is Cadillac’s most important model. It took in over one-third of total Cadillac volume over the last 3 years, despite a troubled launch.

The SRX debuted in the wrong place at the wrong time during the restructuring of GM and the closure of Saab. Twinned with the better-looking (but now defunct) Saab 9-7X, the SRX was left to shoulder the load of its own factory and hopefully double sales of the previous SRX into the mid-50,000-unit range annually.

The first-gen SRX was a cult hit with a CTS-based platform, available V-8 engines and rear or AWD. Commercially, the SRX’s narrow platform and wagon-like proportions failed to win meaningful sales ground, despite the big power, gorgeous LED brake lights and low roof.

The wagon-like SRX was replaced by this conventional front or AWD crossover. It was much closer to the Lexus RX350 template and has proved to be much more popular with normal consumers.

The SRX competes in the midsize luxury crossover segment pretty effectively in spite of its ugly-duckling beginnings. It is a top-10 seller (in its category of 25-plus other models) behind mini SUVs, like the best-selling Lexus RX, Acura MDX and Audi Q5.

Is the mainstream Cadillac SRX a good choice for cruising comfort and safe family transport?

Click past the jump for the full review of the 2014 Cadillac SRX with extra info on the new features, options and updates.

In November at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, Cadillac will be unveiling the 2013 XTS full-size sedan, but this vehicle may be playing second fiddle to the company’s new Cadillac User Experience (CUE) infotainment system.

The CUE will pair entertainment and information data from up to 10 Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices, USBs, SD cards, and MP3 players with a vehicle infotainment system that reduces complexity through customized information, natural voice commands, fewer buttons, and larger icons.
It will feature an 8-inch LCD touch screen located front and center on the top of the central instrument panel leading down to a motorized fully capacitive
faceplate at the bottom concealing a 1.8L storage area.

"CUE doesn’t replace your smartphone or your iPod," said Micky Bly, Executive Director, Global Electric Systems, Infotainment and Electrification. "Rather it allows consumers to securely store those mobile devices while channeling the information on those devices, along with your navigation tools, weather maps with Doppler radar, AM/FM and XM radio, instant messages and emails, through a central portal in your Cadillac, keeping hands on the wheel and eyes on the road."

The Cue will make its debut in the new XTS sedan, but will then be dropped into the ATS sport sedan and the SRX crossover.

Hit the jump to watch a video of Cadillac’s newest technology, plus check out more of its highlights.

The Cadillac SRX was unveiled at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and is going on sale starting at $33,330 for the base 3.0 Liter V6 powered front wheel drive version and climbs all the way up to $51,360 for the 2.8 Liter six cylinder Turbo Premium version. As the Cadillac of crossovers enters its second generation, the completely redesigned SRX delivers a dynamic alternative in terms of visual appeal and driving character to ordinary CUVs with its downsized fuel efficient gas burning engines. The SRX comes standard with a front wheel drive layout and is available with all wheel drive as an option. It is built atop a version of General Motors’ Theta platform that is also used for the Chevrolet Equinox and the Epsilon II platform that is also used for the European Opel Insignia.

UPDATE 04/12/2011:
After being dramatically redesigned back in 2010, the Cadillac SRX has once again been put under the magnifying glass, but this time the changes that were made to the lineup were minimal.
All SRX fans out there will have much to rejoice over as the 2012 Cadillac will get a more powerful version added to its line-up: a 3.6 liter direct-injected V-6 engine that will deliver a total of 300 HP and 260 lb.-ft. of torque.

UPDATE 07/26/11: Cadillac has released some new information about the 2012 SRX, including adjustments to the performance figures on the SUV, as well as new interior features that will be included in the 2012 model. Head on after the jump to find out what’s in store for us with the 2012 SRX.

UPDATE 04/10/12: Cadillac has unveiled the 2013 SRX at the New York Auto Show a series of exterior and interior updates, but the most important one is the addition of the company’s latest CUE - a in-vehicle user experience that incorporates touch-screen controls similar to the most popular mobile devices.

Octane ratings are more than just stickers posted on gas pumps; they have a pretty important purpose too, and one that - if not used the right way - could lead to problems for the 2010 Cadillac SRX crossover.

According to General Motors, the SRX, which comes with a turbocharged 2.8-liter V6 engine, could have a pretty embarrassing chink on its armor wherein putting in gasoline with an octane rating that’s lower than 91 could lead to some pretty serious problems causing pre-ignition. As such, GM is trying to nip the problem in the bud by recalling about 547 SRX crossovers that have been tagged by the NHTSA as potentially having this deficiency.

So if you happen to own a 2010 Cadillac SRX crossover, you might want to head over to your GM dealership to have your Engine Control Modules reprogrammed at no cost.

America’s luxury car maker Cadillac is so confident that the new for 2010 SRX is better than their Japanese and German rivals that they are inviting the public to join them for some back to back test drives.
This past weekend Top Speed attended the Cadillac of Crossovers Test Drive Event that took place at the Village of Merick Park, one of Miami’s newest and one of the more upscale shopping establishments in all of South Florida.
The event combined a relaxed viewing environment for a host of Cadillac’s new products ranging from environmentally conscious Escalade Hybrids to one very hot CTS Sport Wagon as well as a cooking demonstration with Chef Michelle Bernstein and the all important test drive of not only the new Cadillac SRX, but the BMW X5, Mercedes Benz GLK and Lexus RX350 as well.

Admittedly we were a bit unfamiliar with the new Cadillac SRX when we arrived at the event, but after a quick spin around the block and few minutes talking to a few informative men and women in black we felt like we were ready to start working the showroom floor.
The 2010 SRX has been completely redesigned and features a chassis that is unique to the luxury crossover.
Where most CUVs have a tendency to look large and round in order to maximize interior space, the SRX’s designers incorporated enough bold body lines and creases to make it look muscular, not that the six lug 20 inch wheels didn’t help.
If you look close enough at the rear tail lamps you will also see that Cadillac is bringing back the tailfin.
Current SRX models are available with either two or all wheel drive and are powered by a 3.0 Liter VVT DOHC direct injection V6 that gets 18 MPG in the city and 25 MPG on the highway, while a 300 HP turbocharged 2.7 Liter V6 is scheduled to arrive soon.

General Motors has just announced that the 2010 Cadillac SRX will go on sale later this summer starting at $34,155.
The new crossover will come from the factory with a 3.0 Liter V6, featuring fuel saving direct injection, putting out 265 HP.
There will also be a turbocharged 2.8 Liter V6 available as an option; the boosted engine will make 300 HP.

No matter which power plant you choose, gears will be shifted via a Hydra-Matic 6T70 six-speed automatic that lowers the engine’s RPMs when traveling at highway speeds, further increasing fuel mileage.

The all new 2010 Cadillac SRX is a welcome addition of style, performance and fuel economy into the more often than not dull crossover market.
According to Steve Shannon, the Executive Director of Marketing for Cadillac, the SRX “offer[s] new dimensions of versatility and fuel efficiency, along with Cadillac’s signature design and technical features…we believe the Cadillac SRX offers emotional appeal to a segment previously devoid of much of that

Lynden Schneider, Chief Engineer on the new Cadillac SRX goes over some of the features of the luxury crossover, including engines, all-wheel drive system and interior.
While the SRX no longer shares a chasis with the CTS, it still has the many of the same interior features we liked in the CTS we had in our fleet.

The 2010 SRX will be powered by a choice of two six-cylinder engines that are both new to Cadillac: the standard vehicle will come with a 3.0-liter engine that delivers 260 hp and there will also be an optional 2.8-liter turbocharged unit that will make 300 hp.

So General Motors might be a little low on cash these days, but some of the best
things in life are free.
Take for example some engineers (or possibly marketing people) having some fun playing out in the snow while testing the upcoming 2010 Cadillac SRX.

We’ve seen plenty of preview material on this car, but we’ll be able to reveal the production specs when the official debut is made at January’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Cadillac gave the first showing of the 2010 SRX today at Pebble Beach today.
The design for the new crossover is heavily based on the Provoq concept car that went around the car show circuit earlier this year.
General Motors will release full details on the car later this year.

The new SRX is expected to switch to GM’s Theta platform, which would make it smaller wheelbase than the current SRX.
The switch would also means that in two-wheel drive form, the power will now go to the front wheels (an all-wheel drive version should be an option.)
The SRX has become an important car for GM as it is a smaller and more fuel-efficient an alternative to Cadillac’s other SUV offering, the Escalade.

In a press conference GM revealed official images of some of their future model, including the 2010 Chevy Cruze, 2010 Cadillac SRX, 2010 Saab 9-4X, and the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox.

At the same event, GM also confirmed the 2010 Buick LaCrosse, 2010 Cadillac CTS Coupe and 2010 Cadillac CTS Wagon.

First to debut will be the 2010 Chevrolet Cruze at the Paris Auto Show. The Cruze will be based on GM’s Delta compact-car architecture and will be powered by a new 1.4-liter global engine that delivers between 120 to 140 hp. Sources say mileage could exceed 40 mpg.

Still fresh from the all-new, elegantly handcrafted interior it received in 2007, the 2008 Cadillac SRX crossover adds more luxury and convenience to its acclaimed blend of driving performance, spacious versatility and passenger comfort.

First launched in Europe in 2004, the crossover Cadillac SRX set a new trend in combining the sporty exterior and driving dynamics of a luxury station wagon with the offroad capabilities and interior space of a sport utility vehicle. Further enhancing the appeal of the SRX for 2007, are a redesigned interior, a competitively priced rear-wheel-drive V-6 model, an enhanced V-8 Northstar model with six-speed automatic gearbox, a Sport Package and the option of RHD.

For two decades, Dana Buchman has created clothes for the women who run America ’s businesses, communities and families. Now, this vaunted New York fashion house has created the ultimate accessory, the Cadillac SRX Sport by Dana Buchman. Just as Dana Buchman fashions easily cross over from corporate to casual occasions, the midsize Cadillac SRX Sport is a luxury crossover vehicle that’s equally at home in the city or on a winding country road. The SRX Sport’s exterior is covered with rich DuPont Gold Mist tri-coat paint.

Cadillac is going to unveil a special edition for the Cadillac SRX at SEMA, with the cabin redesigned by Dana Buchman, an upscale women’s fashion designer.
Dana Buchman, a
former Liz Claiborne designer who now markets her namesake label, takes the cabin of the 2007 SRX a step further than did Cadillac with the all-new cockpit for the new model year.
"The idea was to take an SRX and hand it over to one of the premier American designers in our effort to give the SRX a renewed focus on (...)

Cadillac is temporarily extending the range of the dynamic BLS and versatile SRX with an important new variant: the Executive. For a great price this adds a number of luxurious accessories to the already very generous level of standard equipment on both models. For example, every Cadillac comes as standard with six airbags, alloy wheels and air conditioning.

The Cadillac SRX has earned an award-winning reputation for its crisp design, outstanding performance, practical functionality and value. Named Car and Driver magazine’s Best Luxury SUV for an unprecedented third consecutive year, SRX luxury crossover enters the 2007 model year with an all-new, elegantly handcrafted interior.

The Cadillac SRX crossover, critically acclaimed for its innovative design in one of the industry’s hottest new segments, now borrows a page from Cadillac’s rich and elegant past. The 2007 SRX, launching in August, debuts a redesigned, hand-crafted luxury interior, bringing elegant Cadillac tradition into the modern world of the crossover vehicle.